The Distant Journey
by JenKM1216
Summary: Prequel to Common Ground. Todd finds his neat, orderly life as a powerful Wraith Commander turned upside down when he decides to take a human woman as his slave. No wonder he's never mated.
1. Chapter 1

_Author's Notes: _Thank you ever so much to my beta, Alauralen. Without her, this would never have happened. I've taken a few liberties with canon since we don't know a lot about the Wraith, so hopefully I've managed to make it realistic.

_Disclaimer: _Stargate Atlantis doesn't belong to me. As much as I wish Todd was mine, he isn't.

--

**The Distant Journey**

**Chapter One**

"We have a group of immune humans in the cell." The message reverberated through his mind—with it the image of roughly a dozen humans huddled in groups. Such a large group was shocking. It was bad enough they'd been finding three or four per culling, but a dozen? There was no doubt in his mind that the humans were evolving to withstand Wraith attacks.

Standing, he made his way to the hold. The humans clustered together in the dark corners, knowing the Wraith could see in the dark, yet feeling safer anyway. Unlike previous cells, there was one human—a woman—who was not clinging to the darkness. Instead she stood, face raised to the above window. The nearby moon illuminated her, and her golden red-tinted hair shined brightly. She was unlike any human he'd ever encountered. She seemed more worried to get a last look at beauty than to fear her own death.

A young wraith approached him. "There are four virgin women in the group, sir."

Todd sighed. That meant Veritus would be around, looking for a new slave. He'd beaten his last slave so severely the Gift of Life had been unable to save her. "Separate them from the group," he said, turning away. He didn't enjoy the wails of fear that would accompany the women's removal.

A moan managed to reach his ears as he quickly maneuvered through the halls. No matter how fast he went, he was never able to completely escape the pain of the human's cries. He kept this locked deep within himself, knowing if another Wraith ever discovered his sympathy for their food source, he'd be killed, despite his stature.

It would be most unpleasant to oversee the distribution of the women. He could have left it up to one of his underlings, but he felt obligated to see to their placement himself. After all, if it weren't for his orders, the planet would have remained unculled, and the women would be home with their families.

He didn't have a mate waiting for him at the Wraith home planet, but he'd often considered taking one. He was sure it would upset him more than a little if his chosen was killed or taken by an enemy.

An hour later, he joined his comrades in the conference room. It was here that he would chose from those wishing for a slave. The highest ranking would come first, moving down until all the women had been placed.

As Todd had thought he would be, Veritus was part of the group. He was pleased to note there were five officers ranked higher than Veritus. With any luck, the top four would be interested in the women available, and he wouldn't have to give one of the women to the sadistic Veritus.

"Bring them in," he said to the drone standing by the door.

A moment later, the four women entered the room, among them the pale red-haired woman he'd seen standing in the moonlight. He felt slightly ill at the thought of giving her to the likes of Veritus.

Immediately, two of the top-ranking officers and three of the lower-ranking officers left. The current livestock was of little interest to them. Todd ground his teeth as Veritus looked over the young woman who'd caught his eye. He mentally scolded himself. He'd never been so overcome with the desire to take a slave of his own. For some reason, he couldn't get the thought out of his head.

The three officers made their choices, each dragging a woman behind him. Veritus looked gleefully at the pale woman left behind. "Looks like my luck held out again," he boasted loudly. He spoke in the human language—purposefully making sure the woman could understand him. "I always get my first choice, no matter how many ranking officers show up." His smile brought back memories of a childhood illness that had left Todd vomiting for days.

Before he could think the better of it, Todd said, "I'll take her."

Veritus turned in astonishment. "You? You've never taken a slave before."

His challenge cleared Todd's mind. He was the ranking officer here, and his decision wasn't up for discussion. Face hardening, he said, "There is a first time for everything, Veritus. I said, _I'll _take her."

Veritus glared back at him, but, nonetheless, moved aside for Todd to approach the woman.

"Come with me," he said shortly. Turning, he strode from the room, aware of her slight hesitation, followed by a few quick steps to catch up to him. It was clear she wasn't in any hurry to remain in Veritus' presence.

As he made his way to his quarters with the woman in tow, he wondered what had overcome him to make such a rash decision. What was it about this woman that made him so thoughtless?

Arriving, he opened the door, allowing the woman to enter first. She paused, glancing up at him. The momentary eye contact was enough to make his feelings of sympathy nearly overwhelming. Such emotion was unbecoming of a Wraith, yet it was something Todd dealt with every time he fed.

He was relieved to close the door behind them. "Sit," he ordered, pointing to a chair beside a small table.

"I'd rather stand," she said, thrusting her chin out defiantly.

Surprise coursed through him. He guessed he shouldn't be so shocked. This was the woman who disdained the darkness for the light, even in the face of the enemy. Unable to stop himself, he smiled widely. "Stand then. It makes no difference to me. Tell me, what is your name?"

She crossed her arms over her chest in uncertainty. It seemed she had expected a different response to her refusal to sit. "Why should I tell you?" she asked, despite the fearful stance she'd taken.

"Wouldn't it be better to be called by name than simply referred to as woman or slave?" Todd smiled again. He was actually enjoying himself. This woman was turning out to be quite interesting.

She suddenly glared at him. "I am not your slave."

"Perhaps you and I don't believe so, but the others do. It would be best for you if you played along." Todd winked at her, knowing it would completely unnerve her.

Her mouth dropped open. "You… You're…" Her voice trailed off slowly as she stared at him.

"I'm not like a Wraith?" At her nod, he continued. "What do you really know about the Wraith? Did you believe us to be evil?"

"You kill humans without mercy," she managed to say. "You enjoy it."

"Correction. We kill humans to sustain ourselves." He lowered his voice. "All living things must eat." She shivered with his final words. "What is your name?" he asked again.

"Nia," she said softly, several tears slipping down her cheeks.

"That wasn't so hard, was it?" He took a step toward her, stopping when she shifted away. Perhaps it would be prudent to let her sleep for the night before explaining to her why she was kept on the ship rather than becoming a runner. "You need fear me least of the Wraith on this ship," he said.

"Really?" She wiped the tears from her cheeks angrily. "I'm not stupid."

Todd shook his head. "I never said you were."

"You think I don't know why I'm alive? Immune _virgins_. I'm not deaf." She spat out the words in disgust. "I'm your sex slave, right?"

Todd laughed loudly, causing Nia to jump in surprise. "You'd rather I left you to Veritus?"

"I'd rather be dead," she said through clenched teeth.

"If you'd rather death, you would have stayed behind when I ordered you to follow me. You want to live." Todd took another step toward her. She moved back, as he'd expected, but hit the edge of the bed, sitting down hard. Her eyes widened, all anger replaced with terror as he advanced predatorily on her, leaning over her. "I've never taken a slave before, Nia. I didn't intend to take one today, either. You're safe from my… affection. However, as I said before, it would be in your best interest to play along. Unless you'd rather I change my mind and hand you over to Veritus after all."

The fear in Nia's eyes sent pangs of doubt through Todd. He'd never dealt with a human in close quarters before. Feeding was one thing, but living with a human? He was in uncharted territory, and he wasn't at all confident things would work out for the best.

Todd could sense Nia weighing her options silently. After a few moments of silence she said in a wavering voice, "I'm not a Wraith worshipper."

Todd restrained the urge to roll his eyes and make a sarcastic comment. "No one ever said you were. You wouldn't be referred to as a slave otherwise."

She nodded slowly. "Then what shall I call you?"

"You would not be able to pronounce my Wraith name, so you may call me Todd." He smiled. "It was my sister's pet name for me when were children. Our slave's name was Todd." He hadn't meant to tell her that, but the remembrance had slipped from his tongue before he could stop himself. He found himself wondering again what it was about this woman that made him lose his normally rigid self-control, even only momentarily.

Throwing a blanket and pillow on the floor, he said, "Sleep."

"On the floor?" She looked up at him with a hint of annoyance.

"I'm not giving you my bed."

--

Todd awoke, a soft noise invading his sleep-fogged mind. He looked over to see Nia hunkered in the corner hurriedly wiping tears from her eyes. "Sleep," he mumbled.

"I can't sleep on the floor," she said, voice gravely from crying. "It's uncomfortable."

"So is the vacuum of space," Todd said in irritation. He'd never been pleasant upon waking.

Nia crossed her arms over her chest. "I thought you said I had little to fear from you."

He rolled over, aware Nia was now staring holes in his back. "Only if you don't wake me from a deep sleep."

"Well, how am I supposed to manage any sleep when I'm on a hard, cold floor? I'm not a morning person either, and if you think—"

"Silence," Todd roared, sitting up and throwing his blanket to the foot of the bed.

Nia threw her arms over her head, realizing she's overstepped her bounds. It was obvious she was used to more than a humble, peasant lifestyle. Todd might have felt sorry for her if he wasn't so perturbed with her incessant chatter when he wanted to be sleeping.

Grabbing her forearms, he hauled her off the floor and shoved her toward the bed. "Now shut up!"

She peered at him through her fingers as he gathered the unused blanket and pillow he'd thrown at her earlier. Spreading the blanket, he lay down, wrapping himself up and making sure his back was to the bed. Nia was right. The floor was hard and cold.

Todd woke again, hours later, sensing Nia staring at him.

As he rolled over, she said, "I think it's morning. I've heard lots of movement in the hall. It's not my fault you woke up."

He resisted the urge to tell her to shut up again. Instead he said, "You didn't wake me this time."

"You snore," she said suddenly. "You snore loudly."

Todd sighed. He'd definitely gotten himself into more than he'd bargained for. Veritus would probably have killed her by now. He stood up, leaving the blanket lying on the floor. As she had last night, Nia averted her eyes. He'd stripped down to his underwear to sleep, and it was obvious it made her extremely uncomfortable.

"I have things to do today." He pulled on his pants and shrugged into his shirt, tucking it in. You're to stay in my quarters. I can't be responsible for what happens if you leave and wander about on your own. Food will be brought to you." Pulling on his boots, he picked up his jacket. "It would probably be best if you don't speak when the food is delivered."

Without another word from Nia, Todd strode out the door.

--

When the door had fully closed behind Todd, Nia put her head down on the pillow and cried bitterly. Her entire family was gone, her friends were dead, and she was a slave. The previous night had been the most terrible of her life, and she was surprised Todd hadn't killed her. She'd shocked herself with her defiance. She was a strong-minded woman, but it had been sheer idiocy to push the Wraith the way she had. She could almost respect him for his restraint. If the positions had been reversed, she doubted she would have remained so calm.

Hugging herself tightly, she found herself almost wishing he had ended her life—almost. He'd been right that she wanted to live. She desperately wanted to live—desperately wanted to find a way off the hive ship. For all her ignorance in pushing Todd, she wasn't stupid enough to go against his orders not to leave his room. She shuddered at the thought of running into the one Todd called Veritus.

The deep ache in her chest worsened with each breath until she could hardly breathe. She'd never known her heart could ache so badly before. Finally, the ache began lessening as a cold numbness seeped through her body. Where pain had filled her moments ago, a deep desolation settled throughout her. Succumbing to the blankness the depression left in its wake, she surrendered herself to sleep.

"Wake up!"

Nia jolted awake, looking around wildly. Was this the moment her life would end? Rather than facing a Wraith, she found herself looking at a dark-haired woman.

"Get up, Slave," the woman said, looking disdainfully at her. "I've been instructed to bring you food, but I will not be serving you breakfast in bed."

Nia bristled at the woman's tone, but Todd's warning flitted through her mind, so she said nothing. Rising, she tried in vain to smooth her torn, rumpled dress.

The woman placed the food tray on the small table next to the bed. Other than the bed, it and the chair beside it were the only furnishings in the room. Looking at Nia, she said, "The likes of _you_ serving in the Master's bed." She tossed her hair, giving Nia a disgusted look.

Something within Nia snapped, and Todd's words left her mind completely. Her heart beat erratically in her chest. "Wraith worshipper. Disgusting traitor. If you weren't regarded as useful food, you'd be dead." She smiled hatefully at the shocked woman. "Get out."

The shock turned to seething fury as the woman drew herself up. "You will regret opening your mouth." She stepped forward and grabbed Nia's arm, pointing to bruises that had formed after Todd launched her into the bed. "These bruises will be worse next time, and I will be the one you'll have to beg for help with the pain." Shoving Nia back roughly, she walked out the door, waving her hand over the closing mechanism.

Nia's heart pounded in her ears as she looked down at her arms. She hadn't realized until the Wraith worshipper had pointed them out that the bruises were so bad. It hadn't hurt when Todd grabbed her, but they ached dully now. Suddenly, it struck her that the woman had thought the bruises came from sex.

An unexpected, shaky laugh rose up. She felt slightly crazy as she began laughing so hard tears fell from her eyes and her sides hurt. There was nothing funny about the situation, yet she laughed until she couldn't laugh anymore. Completely ignoring the food tray, she laid back down on the bed, falling asleep almost instantly.

--

When Todd entered the room, the first thing he noticed was the untouched food tray. Nia lay in his bed, breathing heavily in her sleep. He'd received his first complaint on her early that morning after her breakfast had been delivered. A second complaint had been filed after lunch.

"Nia," he said softly. She stirred slightly, pulling the blanket tighter around her. He raised his voice. "Nia." This time she didn't even move. Aggravation filled him. Stepping forward, he shook her roughly. "Nia!"

She sat up suddenly, slamming her forehead into his cheek sharply. Staggering back, he registered a string of curses from her as he brought his hand up to his throbbing cheek. When he looked up, she was rubbing her forehead.

"What did you do that for?" she asked, accusation filling her voice.

This woman was far more trouble than she was worth. "You didn't eat," he said, deciding to ignore her complaint.

She looked at the food blankly. "No."

He suddenly felt the urge to smack the infuriating woman. No wonder he'd never mated. "Sooner or later you'll get hungry enough to trust it's not poisoned. And I thought I told you not to speak when your food was brought. I had two complaints on you today. Do you realize how close you came to being disposed of?"

Nia stared at him with a look of disbelief. "Just because that woman complained, I'd be 'disposed of?'"

"Amyrra is one of our most devout worshippers. Do you think an untrustworthy servant would be sent to deal with slaves?" His hand itched to knock some sense into the woman sitting in his bed.

"She's just jealous of me," Nia said, dismissing her close call flippantly.

Confusion filled Todd. "Jealous?"

Nia looked pointedly at her forearms. Following her gaze, Todd saw the finger-shaped bruises where he'd grabbed her. He looked at her, shrugging his shoulders.

Nia threw her hands up in the air in exasperation. "She believes these to be the outcome of a… busy night. She's jealous. _She_ wants to serve in your bed."

Todd considered Nia's words. It dawned on him she was right. Their worshippers lavished personal attention on their masters. It was only logical they might actually want to take the service one step further. He shuddered slightly. Despite the loyal service, they were nothing more than useful pawns. If necessary, they would be drained of life without question. Immune virgins were more advanced life forms that had been unsullied by a lower creature's touch. Though he felt sorry for humans, he didn't believe them to be his equals in any way.

"Regardless, you need to keep your mouth shut in the future. I saved you from Veritus' treatment, but I will not have my command questioned. I will not hesitate to take proper action if you drive me to it."

He expected a flurry of chattering from Nia, but she actually remained silent for once. Unbuttoning his jacket, he took it off and walked to the closet. Hanging it up, he caught sight of Nia's face in the mirror on his door. It was bright red, and she was pointedly looking into the corner. Smiling to himself, he decided to make her more uncomfortable. Turnabout was fair play. He'd slept in the floor and dealt with the headaches of the complaints against her, managing to save her life twice. Taking off his shirt, he hung it up and closed the door.

Todd crossed the room and sat right in front of Nia. Her eyes widened, and she nearly fell on her face in her haste to get out of the bed. She might have fallen if Todd hadn't pulled her back at the last moment.

"You want everyone to think I beat you during our passionate encounter tonight?" He winked at her, scratching his shoulder idly.

"I— You—" A coughing fit overtook her as she struggled with the blanket that had hindered her escape during her last attempt to get off the bed.

Genuine curiosity welled up within him. It was amusing to see a normally fiery woman so completely mollified. "Have you ever even seen a nude human male before, Nia?"

She looked at him seemingly against her will. The flush of her face deepened, and her struggling intensified. "I don't see what that has to do with anything," she said as she finally managed to free herself from the blanket. Jumping to the floor, she moved to the opposite side of the room as quickly as possible.

Todd stretched out on the bed, propping himself on his elbow. "You seem flustered at the mere sight of a bare chest. Is it because I am a Wraith, or because you have no experience of any kind?"

Nia sat down on the floor, back against the wall. "No, I've never seen a nude man before. And yes, I'm 'flustered' because you are a Wraith. How would you feel if I were to take most of my clothes off in front of you?"

Todd chuckled. "I've seen a naked human female before. It wouldn't bother me. Feel free to undress whenever you like."

This proved to embarrass Nia even more. He hadn't thought it would be possible for her face to get redder, but it did. A slight purple tinge crept across the tips of her ears.

Realization dawned across her face as she looked up at him through narrowed eyes. "You're enjoying this, aren't you? You're embarrassing me on purpose."

Todd feigned surprise. "Me? What makes you think I would do such a thing?" He couldn't remember the last time he'd had such fun.

"A Wraith with a sense of humor. Lucky me." Sarcasm laced her voice.

"Would you have thought such a thing existed?" Todd asked through a wide smile.

Nia looked at him thoughtfully. "Until yesterday, I thought all Wraith were evil and had no feelings. Then you saved my life. And you did so twice more today."

The answer took him aback slightly. He had expected a cynical comment but had instead been given a compliment of sorts. Where he'd seen only a slightly more advanced human before, he now saw someone worthy of respect.

"You look more human than I would have thought," she said, eyes briefly falling to his chest.

Todd nodded. "That's to be expected, considering our lineage."

Nia looked at him bewilderment. "Your lineage?"

Was it possible she didn't know? He'd thought it common knowledge. "You do not know of our true origins?"

Nia shook her head, confusion marring her face.

The Ancestors had withheld information from the humans they claimed to protect. He knew he shouldn't have been surprised after their abandonment of the humans in the face of defeat, but he was. "The Wraith descended from the absorption of human DNA by the Iratus Bug."

Her mouth dropped open. "It's not possible…"

"I assure you, it is. The humans you so admire left a group of people on a planet populated by the Iratus Bug and promptly forgot about them. We took control of their technology and created our own civilization. When they realized what had happened, your 'Ancestors' tried to destroy us, but their attempt resulted in failure and the abandonment of your people." During his explanation, Nia's expression had gone from confusion to shock and then to anger.

"You are lying to me. The Ancestors would never have been so irresponsible, and they would never have left us behind like you claim. They were our protectors, our saviors." She clenched her fists, face hardened in denial.

Todd regarded her solemnly. He'd expected such a reaction from her. Of course she wouldn't want to believe the truth about a people she'd worshipped all her life. "Can you explain to me, if the Ancestors had no hand in this, why our language and technology is so similar to theirs?"

Nia looked at him blankly, and he realized neither of those things meant anything to her. She didn't speak Wraith nor did she understand technology. A change of tactics was necessary to prove the truth to her. "Why didn't they simply use the Ancestral Ring to bring your people to their city, helping you to escape the Wraith when they left?"

"If they had been able to come for us, they would have," she replied. Uncertainty rose in her eyes, despite the continued denial in her voice.

Todd could see her resolve waning, so he pressed on. "How long would it have taken for them to transport your people through the Rings? How many of you were their left after the war had taken so many human lives? A hundred? Less? They left you to fend for yourselves, thinking only for their own well-being."

Nia fell silent. A broad range of emotions flickered across her face in seconds. "They abandoned us to save themselves when the entire situation was their fault in the first place?"

"They didn't help your people when they realized how serious the situation was. They didn't save you while there was still time."

Todd decided it was a good thing for the Ancestors they weren't around anymore. Nia looked murderous. "I don't understand," she confessed. "They were our protectors."

He shrugged slightly. "The Ancestors were no where near as enlightened as humans were led to believe. Everything they did was in the pursuit of Ascension. Everything was done for their own betterment."

"Our lives never really meant anything to them," Nia whispered. "We were a project, and you were an accident. Both dispensable in the end."

"In the end, they were only human, too," Todd pointed out. "We all have our weaknesses and our conceits. Though they tried to pretend otherwise, the Ancestors were no better than either of us."

--

Nia felt as if she was having an out of body experience. A civilized conversation with a shirtless Wraith was definitely something she'd never imagined, even in her wildest dreams. Learning the true nature of their origin, and the involvement—and betrayal—of the Ancestors had confounded her and almost left her feeling sorry for the Wraith.

An uncomfortable silence rose between them as thoughts of her family and friends rose to the forefront of her mind. She desperately wanted to know if some of them yet survived. At the same time, she prayed they were gone. It would be better for them if the end had come quickly.

"You're thinking of your people," Todd said, breaking the increasingly awkward stillness.

Nia looked him directly in the eyes. Her heart pounded as her mind spun in indecision. Should she ask him or not? Did she really want to know they were all gone or if they were still suffering?

"I don't know if I really want to know," she said softly. "I don't think I could handle either answer." The familiar numbness that was becoming the normal began to fill her once again. Only when Todd irritated her did she manage to pull herself out of the depression that controlled her.

"My mother and my sister died in the battle with the Ancestors," he said. "I know how hard it is to lose those you care about."

"At least they weren't eaten by your captors," she snapped. "For all I know, it was you who sucked the life out of my parents, my brother, my best friend." Tears sprang to her eyes. Pulling her legs up against her chest, she wrapped her arms around them and laid her head on her knees. Unable to stop the grieving, her tears fell unchecked.

"If I could eat something else to survive, I would," Todd said. "Do you think it's easy to look into the eyes of an intelligent creature, knowing you are their death? I've felt sorry for humans since I was a child, but I can't and won't apologize for my desire to live."

Nia almost began the maniacal laughter again. Moral questions swam through her mind. Was it wrong of the Wraith to want to live? Wouldn't it be wrong to deny them that right? But what of the humans they consumed? Didn't they deserve to also survive? It was an endless circle with no real answer.

She felt a hand on her shoulder and looked up. Todd knelt in front of her. "I understand pain and loss. It does hurt, no matter how we might try to hide it. That is something we have in common. I believe your family would want you to survive in their stead, as I believe mine wanted me to survive. Wraith and humans are more alike than either our races like to admit."

A renewed respect for the Wraith who'd rescued her from certain death rose within her. He was trying to comfort her, despite their differences. He'd saved her life more than once, at the possible risk of his integrity being questioned by those he commanded.

"Thank you," she whispered.

A slight smile rose to his lips. "I get the bed tonight."

--

Nia hadn't argued about the bed, much to Todd's satisfaction. He'd slept poorly on the floor, and she'd slept all day anyway. She'd grown quiet and pensive after their conversation. He couldn't blame her, really. If everything he'd ever believed turned out to be a lie, he doubted he would be very talkative. That wasn't even accounting for the fact she'd lost everything and everyone she cared about.

Once again, feelings of guilt and remorse stole over him. Angrily, he shoved the unwanted emotions to the back of his mind. It wasn't as if he could eat anything else to survive. Todd looked over to where Nia still sat in the floor. It made things harder to face when confronted with the pain his dietary needs caused.

A knock sounded at the door before he could think of anything to say. The lack of any telepathic communication told him it was probably Nia's dinner. Before he could answer the door, it was jerked open.

"When I knock, you answer the door, Sla—" Amyrra nearly choked on her words as she took in the half-dressed, glaring Wraith before her. "Master, forgive me. I didn't know you were here, or I would have, of course, waited for you to grant me admittance."

Todd grunted, pointing to the untouched lunch tray. Amyrra hastened to pick up the plate, replacing it with the new tray, trying her best to curtsey once the exchange had been made.

"You will find suitable clothing for my slave tomorrow." Todd's voice was low and menacing, and the woman tensed up.

She lowered her head. "Yes, Master. I live only to please you." Knowing an unspoken dismissal when she faced one, Amyrra hurried out the door, closing it behind her.

Turning to Nia, Todd said, "You must eat. I didn't save your life to watch you slowly waste away to nothing."

Nodding, she rose and walked to the table. She leaned over and sniffed the meat on the plate. Her stomach growled loudly, and she straightened quickly. Wrapping her hands around the offending part of her body, she smiled ruefully at him before sitting down in the chair.

Todd felt his heart skip a beat. It was the first time he'd seen her smile. He sat on the edge of the bed as she began to eat, studying her. The first time he'd seen her hair, it was shining in the moonlight. Now it was plastered to her head, matted with tangles. She was shorter than him by at a full foot. Her skin was pale as compared to most of the humans he'd ever seen. It was nothing compared to the paleness of his own skin, of course.

It was her eyes that caught his attention so much. They were bright green with flecks of gold. When she'd smiled, they lit up and sparkled. He'd never seen anything like it before. The yellow eyes of the Wraith were largely unexpressive. He only saw hatred, fear, and defeat in the eyes of the humans he fed on.

"You told that woman to find me some clothes," Nia said, breaking his train of thought.

"Your current garment leaves a bit to be desired."

"My current state leaves a bit to be desired." She looked down at herself, wrinkling her nose. "What I need even more than new clothing is a bath."

"I can arrange daily bathing for you," Todd said.

Nia looked up, amazement clear on her face. "You can?"

Todd resisted the urge to make a sarcastic comment. It annoyed him somewhat that humans didn't even give Wraith cleanliness the benefit of the doubt. Though he supposed, upon reflection, he could understand their refusal to give them credit for anything. "You think Wraith don't need to bathe? Regardless of what humans might think, we do find foul smells offensive. I can arrange for you to use the facilities set aside for the humans on the ship."

"I would appreciate that very much."


	2. Chapter 2

_Author's Notes: _Thank you ever so much to my beta and best friend, Alauralen. Each chapter I complete leaves me nervous, and she always reassures me. I honestly couldn't do this without her.

_Disclaimer: _Stargate: Atlantis doesn't belong to me. Unfortunately. I only wish I could claim Todd.

* * *

**The Distant Journey**

**Chapter Two**

Todd awoke when a knock sounded at the door. He'd decided to attend to his duties after getting Nia's routine established. Being the commander had its perks. Rising, Todd scooped the half-awake woman from the floor, throwing her, the blanket, and the pillow on his bed. It would look odd if he didn't have her sleeping with him after only the second night.

Nia rubbed her eyes. "What—"

"Shhh. Take your dress off." Todd covered her lips with his hand. "It will look strange to have you in my bed fully dressed," he said in response to her shaking her head. "Do you or do you not want to live?"

Grabbing his hand, she shoved it away from her mouth, sighing when the knock sounded again, more insistently. "Fine," she said, pulling the dress over her head and throwing it on the floor. Clad only in her underclothes, she lay back on the pillow and pulled the blanket over herself.

Todd nodded. Grabbing his pants and shoving his feet into them, he opened the door as he was buttoning them. Amyrra stood outside the door, holding a steaming breakfast tray. Her eyes widened as she took in the sight of Todd still buttoning his pants while Nia relaxed in the bed. It was obvious her assumption was exactly what he'd intended.

Catching herself in the act of staring, Amyrra bowed her head. "I've brought your slave her morning meal."

"You may set it on the table," he said, moving aside, allowing her entrance. Closing the door behind her, he noticed the woman's eyes cut over, glancing at Nia. Though she tried to hide it, he could tell she wasn't pleased at the sight. If Nia hadn't brought the idea of jealousy to his attention, he'd never have noticed the insignificant action.

Amyrra picked up the empty tray, setting the fresh one in its place. "Shall I gather your laundry while I'm here, Master?" she asked, gaze fixed on Nia's tattered dress.

Todd stared at Nia's dress, considering letting Amyrra take it away. Deciding she'd need the dress one more time to get to the bathing area, he simply walked to his closet, pulling several dirty shirts and pairs of pants out. Amyrra held out her arm, accepting the dirty clothes as if they were holy relics. "Nia requires new clothing after she bathes this morning."

"Yes, Master. I've brought something to take her size with in order to find suitable items." She set the tray on the chair and pulled out a small measuring device, her back to Nia.

"Very well, Amyrra. Nia?" Todd turned his attention to Nia, who was mouthing the word jealous. The urge to laugh rose to Todd's throat, and it was difficult to keep a straight face. Before him was a loyal woman with years of service behind her, yet it was the forced slave he'd known for two days—one who admitted her dislike of the Wraith—that held his greater affection. He liked a challenge, and Nia was a challenge—simple as that.

Nia climbed from the bed, looking slightly disconcerted about standing in her underclothes in front of him. Amyrra turned away and began taking Nia measurements with the device clutched tightly in her hand.

Todd took the opportunity to scrutinize Nia. She was thin with long legs. Her buttocks, covered in white cloth, was slightly rounded, and her stomach firm. Her breasts caught his attention the most, however. They were wrapped in a strapless cloth hooked at the back, but he could see her cleavage clearly. Her breasts were high and round, the perfect size for a complete handful.

Wraith females were fewer in number than males. Being a ranking officer, he had his choice of a mate, but he'd never taken an interest in any of them. If he'd found one with breasts like Nia's, however…

His thoughts were interrupted when Amyrra turned around and picked up the tray from the previous night. Clearing his throat, Todd said, "Be sure to pick up the dinner tray tonight. I don't want another one left overnight again."

"Yes, Master," Amyrra said. "I'll have the clothing ready for your approval after she bathes." Moving carefully with her armful of laundry and the empty tray, Amyrra waved her hand over the door mechanism and exited the room, closing it behind her.

Todd watched as Nia grabbed her dress, quickly slipping it on. "You were staring at me the whole time," she complained as she pulled it down over her legs.

"Yes, I was. I was examining your breasts."

Nia's face flushed, as he knew it would. She self-consciously crossed her arms as she sat in the chair, gazing at the food tray.

"You've never undressed in front of anyone before, have you?" She stiffened with his words, her blush deepening.

"I have," she said. Her words were clipped, and he automatically knew she didn't mean a man.

"Your mother and your best friend don't count," he said. "You've never been seen by a man."

She stood up suddenly, scowling at him darkly. "What part of the word virgin do you need me to explain to you? Had a man seen me naked, it would have been because it was leading to more. Unfortunately for me, no man was ever interested in me, so here I am, twenty-five years old and still an unmarried virgin!"

Her chest heaved with her tirade. Nia fell back into the chair, dropping her face in her hands, breathing loudly. Though he couldn't see, he knew tears were falling down her cheeks. He felt guilty for pushing her into an explanation of her virginity. It hadn't been his intent, but he was the reason for her outburst.

"I'm sorry, Nia. I didn't mean to bring up past hurts. That wasn't my intention."

"Then what was your intention? To embarrass me for your own enjoyment? I can tell you now, that's getting old already. I know I'm not much to look at, but you don't have to be so hurtful." Her voice was muffled through her hands, but he heard her words clearly.

Not much to look at? From what he'd gleaned of human men, he was sure they'd consider Nia pretty. He wasn't even human, but he admitted to being attracted. Though her facial features were different, the exterior of a human female and a Wraith female were very similar.

"Nia, you're a lovely woman. I don't understand why you would think men weren't interested in you." Perhaps they avoided her due to the sheer exasperation of dealing with her. However, it was probably best not to tell her that now.

She didn't look up. "Oh, a compliment now. You don't have to lie to make me feel better."

Todd wasn't sure how to handle insecurity. Wraith females were anything but uncertain. "Nia, I'm not lying to you. Even a Wraith can see it. Why do you think Veritus wanted you?"

Nia finally looked up. Her eyes were red, and her face was wet. "Thinking about him doesn't exactly boost my confidence, you know. From what you've said, he simply wanted to use me for a while, followed by beating me to death."

Veritus wasn't the best example to use. "You've learned to trust me, so trust me when I say you are an attractive woman. Now stop crying and eat. I'll take you to bathe when you're finished."

--

Todd's abrupt end to the conversation did little to comfort Nia. Did he honestly think a Wraith's opinion of her looks would soothe her? It was apparent he thought the issue resolved, and it struck her that human men and Wraith were similar. They expected things to be done with just because they didn't want to talk about it further.

It was disconcerting to think of humans and Wraith being similar in any way, but Todd had maintained since they met that the two species were more alike than either was willing to admit. Nia was daily being forced to admit he might be right.

She did manage to quell her tears, but it was hard to swallow her food. Todd was blunt and didn't have a problem saying exactly what he wanted to. As he'd looked over her scantly clad body, she'd felt small and helpless. It served to make her realize if he wanted more from her there was very little she could do to stop it. He'd said she had learned to trust him, but had she? She still struggled with the thought that he was simply the lesser of the evils.

Thrusting such thoughts away, Nia forced the rest of her food down, thinking about how nice a bath would be. Her hair felt nasty, and she couldn't wait for a good scrubbing—even if it was on a Wraith hive ship. Pushing her plate back, Nia said, "I'm ready."

Todd nodded, pulling on a clean shirt and his jacket. Nia waited impatiently as he buttoned the jacket slowly, examining himself in the closet mirror before turning around. The Wraith was more vain than any human she'd ever met. Finally he walked to the door. "Well, are you ready?" he asked as if he'd been the one waiting all that time.

The anticipation of her bath overrode any annoyance with his attitude, which distinctly reminded of her brother at times.

Todd opened the door, and she followed him into the hallway. The door slid shut behind her, and she suddenly felt completely vulnerable. Wraith filled the hallway, some followed by humans. Few took notice of her, but those who did terrified her. Without thinking about it, she moved closer to Todd. His hand briefly touched her arm before he moved down the hall.

She hastened to keep close to him, feeling more exposed than ever before. She doubted if she'd been completely naked in front of Todd she'd have felt as threatened as she did in the hall.

The ship was unlike anything she'd ever seen. Where it had been dark in the holding pen, it was light here. The walls pulsated as though alive. Numerous doors lined either side of the hall, and she suddenly realized why there were so many Wraith here. These were their living quarters when they weren't in hibernation. It made sense, yet she'd never considered it.

A single Wraith smiled nastily at her, growling slightly as she passed. Picking up her pace, she moved right into the back of Todd, gripping his sleeve in her hand. He didn't look back at her, but he didn't shake her away either. She was breathing hard and was beginning to feel dizzy by the time Todd slowed, maneuvering into a wide, open door. Turning right, he led Nia into a large, steam-filled room.

Her eyes nearly popped from their sockets as she took in the number of nude human women in the room. A few looked up, but none seemed perturbed at the sight of Todd. In fact, a few of them seemed pleased.

Amyrra materialized from the steam, fully clothed. "Master," she said, "I have everything prepared."

"Good. You may begin. Nia, follow Amyrra."

Nia almost cringed at the sweet smile Amyrra gave her. Glancing up at Todd, she steeled herself and followed the unpleasant woman. She was glad when Amyrra directed her into a bathtub in the corner and turned to leave. At least she would have a little bit of privacy.

The bath was more luxurious than she'd been fantasizing. As she scrubbed the dirt from her body, she could almost imagine she was home and her family would be waiting for her when she was finished. Her mother would have lunch ready soon, and her father and brother would be home from the fields any minute.

She toweled off slowly, the scent of her mother's best stew and fresh baked bread in her nostrils. The illusion was shattered when she reached for her underclothes and dress. They were gone. She hurried around the corner desperately searching for her things. A cold laugh hit her suddenly as Amyrra stepped toward her.

"They are not here, Slave. The last ties you have to anything familiar are gone." She smiled and leaned forward, dropping her voice. "I told you that you would regret opening your mouth." Stepping back, she more loudly said, "Follow me."

Tears stung Nia's eyes as she wrapped a towel around her body. She should have known Amyrra wouldn't forget her threats. Having no other choice, Nia followed the hateful woman. Amyrra walked out the door to the bathing room, causing Nia to pause. She was taking her out in the halls wearing only a towel?

"Aren't you coming?" Amyrra asked, sweetness dripping from her voice. Only the malicious gleam in her eyes gave her away.

Refusing to allow Amyrra the satisfaction of seeing her discomfort, she stepped into the hall, head held high. Thankfully, there were few Wraith in the narrow corridor, none of whom spared her a second glance. Amyrra's gleam of amusement diminished slightly. Nia smiled at her calmly.

Amyrra's gaze grew icy. Obviously unwilling to cause a scene that might impact her negatively, she simply turned to lead the way. Thankfully, it was only a short distance down the hall.

Nia entered behind Amyrra, eyes falling on several piles of clothes. She might have smiled if she hadn't caught sight of Todd sitting just around the corner of the doorway.

"I've picked several items," Todd said, pointing to a small pile. "You may try on my selections to be sure they fit now."

"Now?" she asked, sudden apprehension gripping her. "Here?"

"Yes, now and here. I don't have time to pick through things more than once if my selections don't fit you properly." He waved his hand at the pile he'd decided on. "There are some underclothes in the pile somewhere. Give Amyrra the towel."

Nia's heart froze. "I could keep it around me until I have the underclothes picked out," she said slowly.

"Nonsense," Todd said, dismissing her idea. "Amyrra has seen naked women before. You don't need to worry about her." He smiled widely, obviously enjoying himself immensely.

Nia paused for a moment, considering telling Todd to leave. Her mouth was open to say as much when it hit her that Amyrra would realize something strange was going on. It wouldn't take much for her to figure out the true nature of the relationship she had with Todd. Without looking at Todd, she took a deep breath and handed the towel to Amyrra.

As she sifted through the pile looking for the underclothes, she could feel Todd's eyes on her. She found a pair of panties and a wrap for her breasts and put them on as quickly as possible. It had crossed her mind Todd may have picked out items he knew wouldn't fit her properly, knowing how he enjoyed seeing her discomfort. He proved not to be completely heartless as the items fit well.

She selected a blue dress with silver lining and slipped it over her head. It was a perfect fit. However, it was rather low-cut, blatantly displaying her breasts. Turning around, she faced Todd, working hard to keep her face neutral.

--

Todd watched Nia warring with herself before she finally made the decision to hand the towel to Amyrra without comment. He had to respect the restraint and sense she showed. He knew how Amyrra felt about her, and Nia apparently remembered as well.

She stood before him completely unadorned for a moment before turning to the pile. He admired her silently. Despite walking into the bathing room as if he'd done it before, he didn't often see human females in the nude. She looked exotic, and he felt an unexpected surge of desire roll through him.

She turned around after donning the first dress. The look on her face was carefully controlled, but he knew she wasn't pleased. "It seems to fit perfectly," he said.

"It does fit," she began, "but it seems slightly low-cut in the front."

"It's the latest style, I'm told." Unable to resist, he winked at her.

Nia took a deep breath. "I'm not sure the style really suits me."

Todd leaned back in the chair. "Nonsense. You look lovely. Try on the next one."

His desire for her grew as she tried on each dress. He had begun to feel the affects of it acutely by the time she finally tried on the last dress. He had to employ his most stoic reserve in order to banish the visual confirmation of his hunger. He cleared his throat, standing slowly. "Amyrra, gather the rest of the clothes and bring them to my room."

Nia hadn't said a word after the first dress. The pale yellow color of the final dress suited her well, and the plunging neckline suited him. Arriving at his room, he entered behind Amyrra and Nia. Amyrra hung each item in the closet while Nia perched on the edge of the chair.

"I'm done, Master. Is there anything else I can do to serve you?" At the shake of his head, Amyrra exited the room.

As soon as the door slid shut behind her, Nia stood. "You."

Todd looked at her with all the innocence he could muster. "Yes?"

"You had her destroy my dress while I was taking a bath." The neutrality of her face was disconcerting. Nia didn't have the best temper, so for her to be showing no more emotion than she was definitely left room for concern.

"I had nothing to do with that," he said. "I never ordered her to dispose of your dress as you bathed." He knew this was all just an opener to the larger argument to come. It was likely to be a spectacular event, if the heaving of her chest, thrusting her breasts to attention, was any indication.

"Well, you didn't seem concerned when I showed up in a towel. And you certainly didn't have a problem ordering me to give it to that woman." She was doing an admirable job of keeping calm, but her voice had begun to rise slightly as she emphasized the word ordering.

"It wasn't as if I could offer you privacy. Amyrra expected me to stay." Todd waved his hand dismissively. "And in case you've forgotten, you are supposed to be my sexual slave." His loins stirred with the words, catching him by surprise again. He might be willing to admit noticing a comely human woman when he saw one, but the sexual desire was not something he'd expected. He swallowed reflexively, struggling to control his urges.

"Oh, what an excuse." Nia took a step toward him angrily. "You orchestrated the entire scenario. You _enjoyed _yourself!"

Todd smiled, unable to help himself. "I would be lying if I said I didn't enjoy it."

Nia took another step toward him and raised her hand, smacking him so hard his head rocked back. He caught his balance, dropping into an instinctive, defensive crouch, growling at her. The anger on her face turned to fear instantly.

For each step forward he took, she moved back. His low, animalistic growls of anger filled the room. He'd taken a big risk in saving her, and he wasn't going to allow her to treat him with such disrespect.

"I… I'm sorry." Her words were barely audible and laden with horror. "Todd—"

"Stop." She did as he commanded immediately.

She came to a halt, backed up against the bed. Todd grabbed her arms, forcing himself not to grip her as tightly as instinct demanded. Pushing her back on the bed, he crawled over her.

"Would you rather I forced you to do my bidding as any other Wraith would do?" he asked as he breathed in her panic. He exhaled warm air as he raised his face from the base of her throat to her chin. "Would you rather I take what is rightfully mine to take?" He raised his head, looking her in the eyes. "How do you think it would feel if I were to truly treat you as a slave?" He lowered his lips to her neck, feeling her blood pulsating under her skin.

Every instinct in his body heightened as he fought to maintain control of himself. The scent of her fear invaded his predatory inclinations, and he nearly gave in to his base desire to dominate her completely. It took every ounce of strength he possessed to let go of her arms and rise from the bed.

The gasps of Nia's terror assaulted his ears. He gazed at the frozen woman silently, breathing deeply, calming the beast within. As it shrank into the base of his being, he regained total command of his mind once more. Staring at her for a moment more, he turned on his heel and marched out the door.


	3. Chapter 3

_Author's Notes:_ Thank you once again to my lovely beta, Alauralen. I failed to mention in the first chapter's notes that she is the one who came up with the summary for this story. I'm forever grateful to her since I'm terrible with summaries.

On that note, I should also let you all know she had the chapter to me yesterday, but I failed to update. Sorry!

_Disclaimer:_ I'm not making any money off this fic as Stargate Atlantis doesn't belong to me. More's the pity.

* * *

**The Distant Journey**

**Chapter Three**

Nia wasn't sure how many hours she lay in the bed, immobilized by terror. Her breathing had finally evened out, and her heart no longer clenched painfully in her chest. She didn't know what had come over her. What had she been thinking, smacking a Wraith?

When Todd had dropped into a crouch, growling furiously at her, she'd been sure her life was over. The anger she'd seen in his stance and eyes was the most frightening thing she'd ever witnessed.

As she lay, recalling the ordeal, guilt whelmed from nowhere. Despite Todd's willingness to embarrass her and put her in uncomfortable situations, he had protected her more than once at his own risk. He'd even slept on the floor, giving her the bed.

Even so, he was still a Wraith. He'd been the one who ordered the attack on her planet. She didn't know who had been culled and who had escaped. Everyone she loved could be dead—on his order.

The truth was, she didn't know how to feel about the Wraith. She had seen the bestiality in his eyes as he stared into hers after forcing her on the bed. He'd touched her in ways no one had ever touched her before. She could still feel his breath and lips on her throat. The feel of his rigid body over hers was seared into her memory. He'd acted out of pure instinct but had the restraint and self-control to master his own aggression. She didn't know whether to hate and fear him or admire and respect him.

She hadn't resolved her feelings when Amyrra entered the room without knocking. The woman must have known Todd wasn't there, or she would never have entered so freely.

"In bed again? You're the laziest, most pitiful slave I've ever seen. I will never know what the Master sees in you." Amyrra picked up the breakfast tray, slamming the lunch tray on the table, spilling the drink over Nia's food.

Nia's anger welled within her, but she simply didn't have the energy to fight with the woman. Even still, she felt boneless after her encounter with Todd. Rather than say anything, she rolled over with her back to Amyrra.

This served to make the worshipper angrier than she had been before. "Don't turn your back to me, Slave." She grabbed Nia's wrist, jerking her around. "Were it up to me, I'd have you put to death immediately."

"But it's not up to you, is it?"

Amyrra snapped upright, alarm on her face. "Master. I—"

"Don't give me any excuses for your behavior, Amyrra. I saw everything. You may leave. I will deal with your insolence later." He crossed his arms over his chest.

Amyrra bowed, nearly running from the room.

Nia sat up, heart beating erratically. She had no idea what to expect. Todd sat on the end of the bed, and she flinched, pulling her legs under her. He sighed heavily.

"Nia, you have nothing to fear from me."

She said nothing, merely raising her eyebrows. Did he expect her to believe that after what had happened? Raising her hand, she placed her fingertips on the exact spot his lips had rested.

He looked at her hand fixedly. She was unable to read his look and had no idea what he might be thinking. Swallowing hard, she said, "I shouldn't have slapped you."

He nodded in agreement. "And I..." His words trailed off, and he shook his head. "I don't often lose control like that."

Nia took in his serious countenance. In his way, he was apologizing. She felt like she needed to say something, but she wasn't sure what. She was forced to admit to herself she had behaved poorly, too. Had she kept her temper, he never would have lost his.

She took a deep breath and leaned forward. Thrusting her fear of Wraith back, she placed her hand gently on the cheek she'd smacked. "We're both to blame." Her hand lingered on his cheek for a moment longer before she dropped her hand.

Todd nodded, smiling slightly. "This situation is not easy on either of us. With time, we will become more accustomed to each other." He rose and walked out the door.

--

The days passed as usual, aside from the fact that Todd and Nia spoke infrequently. Their relationship was uneasy, at best. Though Nia hated the way Todd had regularly embarrassed her, she missed it in a way. At least he had been talking to her.

Amyrra hadn't returned after Todd witnessed her treatment of Nia. She wasn't sure what Todd had said or done, but another woman had taken Amyrra's place—one who didn't care for Nia anymore than Amyrra had. Nia suspected they were friends. But, she, at least, didn't attack Nia at every opportunity.

Given the obvious dislike the worshippers had for her, Nia worked out her own schedule. Despite her fear of the Wraith, she knew they wouldn't harm her without reason, and she couldn't stand to stay in the room day after day. So, after breakfast—the only meal Nia didn't prepare for herself—she started her morning routine with laundry. At first, she'd simply done her own, but she had decided it was silly to take all her laundry and leave Todd's for the worshipper to collect. In doing his laundry herself, she saw less of the unpleasant woman in private.

After completing the laundry, Nia made her way to the kitchens and prepared her lunch. When finished eating her midday meal, she reported to a male worshipper named Drin. Drin was far more pleasant than the female worshippers. When Nia had expressed her interest in the defensive training he provided field operatives, he'd offered to teach her. With her days being long and lonely, she had jumped at the opportunity and now spent two hours daily working with a staff.

After sparring with Drin or his students, Nia bathed. She'd taken to napping in the afternoon, but occasionally she sat by the small window in Todd's room, watching the stars. Finally, she prepared her dinner. By the time she was done with that, Todd was usually finished with his day's duties, so she returned to the room. She'd once briefly considered making her way to a ship and escaping, but she gave the idea up very quickly. Not only did she have no idea how to fly a ship, but there were hundreds of Wraith on the hive between her and any ship.

With a routine in place, it was only a matter of time before Nia ran into Veritus. She didn't range far from the Wraith quarters, but a few of the halls she used to get to the kitchen, training, and laundry rooms took her through work areas.

A month after her confrontation with Todd, Veritus appeared before her in the hall as she made her way back to the room after dinner. She recognized him immediately. Panic shot through her when he blocked the hall as she tried to maneuver around him.

"You will bow your head and stand aside to allow me passage, Slave. You would do well to remember who your masters are." He chuckled unpleasantly.

"Forgive me," she said, unable to bring herself to call him master. Moving aside, she stood against the wall with her head bowed, hoping he would just move on.

He took a menacing step toward her. "You will address me as Master, Slave."

"My master is the commander," she said softly, knowing it was sheer stupidity to push him.

With her head bowed, Nia had no warning about the backhand Veritus suddenly delivered. She slammed against the wall, falling to her knees before him. "All Wraith are your masters, Slave."

Raising her hand to her cheek, she realized the rings he wore on his fingers had cut her cheek badly. Blood gushed from the facial wound, and her teeth ached from the impact. Tears fell from her eyes despite trying to hold them back.

Veritus laughed loudly, hauling her to her feet. "You will learn to respect your superiors." Balling his hand, he slammed his fist into her ribs.

Breath knocked away by the impact, Nia fell to her knees again, wheezing desperately. The lack of oxygen and the amount of blood falling from her cheek made her head woozy. She barely registered the pain when Veritus grabbed her by the hair, forcing her to her feet once more.

He dragged her down the hall, hair gripped firmly in his fist. Todd was just arriving at his room when Veritus dragged her around the corner. Slinging her at Todd, he said, "Your slave needs to mind her manners."

Nia barely registered Todd lifting her in his arms and taking her into the room. Her ribs shifted painfully as he laid her on the bed. Her vision grew fuzzy, and she lost consciousness as Todd gazed down at her in concern.

--

Nia felt almost weightless in his arms as Todd carried her quickly to their room. Laying her on the bed, he took in her wounds as she passed out. The facial lacerations were the most obvious; however, it was her torso that held his primary concern. Veritus' last slave had died from internal bleeding. Unwilling to waste precious time to remove her dress properly, Todd pulled the knife at his waist out, cutting it down the front.

Once the dress lay open, he noted several crushed ribs under her skin. It was very likely there was, indeed, internal damage. Knowing she would die otherwise, Todd raised his hand. The Gift of Life was her only chance. Not every immune human was able to accept the Gift of Life. Some possessed a resistance to both.

"You had better not be one of those, Nia," he whispered, seating the palm of his right hand firmly against her chest.

Her sudden intake of breath and the healing of her cheek let Todd know it was working. He held on until he was sure she was completely healed. Letting go, he leaned over her on the bed, drained to exhaustion. Her breathing was no longer labored, and he knew she would live. Closing he eyes, he succumbed to sleep.

--

Nia stirred, trying to motivate herself to wake. A pleasant tingling sensation ran through her body, and she couldn't remember the last time she'd been so comfortable. The vague sense something should be wrong lingered, but she couldn't bring herself to care. The warm, pleasurable feeling whirled through her, and she felt as if she were floating on a cloud.

A groan sounded from somewhere far away. Her brow wrinkled slightly at the invasion of her solitude, and she strove to ignore it. The moan broke into her peacefulness again, finally driving her to a waking state.

Opening her eyes, the recent events slammed into her consciousness. She'd been beaten. The last thing she remembered was Todd standing over her. Todd… That groan was coming from him.

She tried to sit up, but something forced her back. Looking down, she saw Todd. He was laying half on the bed and half over her, immobilizing her. He looked gaunt. It suddenly occurred to her that her dress had been sliced wide open. Todd's hair covered her chest while his head rested on her abdomen. Thankfully her breast wrap was still securely in place. Had she awakened with Todd on her bare breasts…

She interrupted her own thought process wondering why she wasn't dead. She had felt her ribs piercing her insides painfully as she passed out. Todd made another unintelligible noise, driving her attention back to the sleeping Wraith pinning her to the bed. Shimmying carefully, she finally managed to get her arms out from under him. They were asleep, leading her to wonder how long they'd lain together like that—and what had happened.

The sense of peace deep within her soul told her Todd had saved her somehow. Something he had done had pulled her from Death's doorstep. And now he was drained to exhaustion.

Finally, after several long moments, her arms regained their strength, and she gently slid her hands under Todd's head. Raising it slightly, she managed to extract herself from his body's warmth. A part of her mourned separating from him, but she thrust the strange feeling back, concentrating on making him comfortable.

She finally managed to straighten him on the bed, head resting on a clean pillow. After covering him with the blanket, she opened the closet door and looked in the mirror. Dried blood caked in her hair and on the right side of her face. Had her dress not been sliced open to the waist, it would have been ruined from the blood anyway.

She ran her hand over her cheek, distinctly remembering feeling the cuts there. However, there was no trace to be seen in the mirror. She ran her hands lightly over her ribs. Several of them had been broken for sure, but now there was no indication she'd ever been injured.

Turning around, she looked at Todd, still slumbering in the bed. "What did you do?" she whispered.

--

Hunger burned inside, gnawing at his very being. He had to feed soon. Dragging himself out of his already fading dreams, Todd opened his eyes. Nia stood over him, looking down in concern, holding a damp, cool rag across his forehead.

"Shouldn't I be the one caring for you?" he asked.

"Then it wasn't all a dream?" She picked up the rag and pushed it under his neck.

Todd smiled weakly. "No, unfortunately, it wasn't." He struggled to sit up, but Nia placed her hand on his chest, pushing him back down.

"You need to rest," she said. "You look terrible."

Todd shook his head. "I don't need to rest; I need to feed."

Nia fell silent at his words. Pulling the rag from under his neck, she immersed it in a bowl of water, ringing it out. Refusing to meet his eyes, she asked, "What happened?"

"You met Veri—"

"You know what I mean, Todd."

She definitely knew how to get to the point. "I shared the Gift of Life with you."

She stilled, finally looking into his eyes. "The Gift of Life?"

Forcing himself to a sitting position, despite her attempts to stop him, Todd said, "What we take away, we can also give."

"Meaning you don't actually have to kill to survive?" Nia's words were soft, but the edge to them was unmistakable.

"It's more complicated than that. To give life to a single person requires the energy of several. Because I have only taken what I require to sustain myself, I'm weakened. And because it does require so much energy, the Gift of Life is reserved for only the most devout of our worshippers and brethren."

Nia remained silent during his explanation, allowing him to speak without interruption. When he finished, she said, "So healing me has condemned others to death." Tears clouded her eyes, and he could see her fighting to keep them at bay.

Todd said nothing, unable to deny the truth. When she didn't speak again, Todd rose. "I'll be back shortly," he said.

He completed his task as quickly as possible, draining sustenance from three humans to replace what he'd given Nia. He sighed in relief as the energy flowed through his body. The burning sensation had nearly been more than he could stand. Thankfully, the physical discomfort faded quickly. He wasn't sure he could handle the pain in addition to the new problems presenting themselves. Veritus had taken his reprimand of Nia's attitude too far, forcing Todd to drain himself to dangerously low levels. Such disregard for his superiors was a blatant challenge of Todd's leadership. If it was a fight Veritus was looking for, he'd picked the wrong Wraith. One didn't become the commander of such a large number of hives due to a forgiving nature.

Todd was prepared for Nia's crying before he reentered their quarters. What he wasn't prepared for was an empty room. He looked around briefly for any clue to her whereabouts. Picking up the bloodied, destroyed dress she worn earlier, he decided she'd probably gone to bathe. His imagination switched on, and he wondered what would happen should Nia encounter Veritus again. The thought was enough to send Todd to the bathing room. Nia would just have to deal with his presence.

No other women were in the room, making locating Nia much easier than it might otherwise have been. Todd walked straight to the corner where he heard movement. Nia laid back peacefully, eyes closed as her hands floated lazily in the water. The water rippled over her breasts and stomach, leaving Todd once again feeling stirrings of desire. Shaking his head free of the mesmerizing image, he cleared this throat.

The reaction was instantaneous and violent. Nia jerked, splashing water over the edge of the basin. As she jumped up and scrambled toward the side, her feet slid, and she fell backwards. Todd stepped forward smoothly, catching her before she hit the floor.

Helping her to steady herself with one hand, he grabbed her towel with the other. When she was stable, he let go, holding to towel open for her with both hands. She had no choice but to allow him to wrap it around her.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, voice lowered to a hiss.

"Let me think…" Todd placed his fingers under his chin thoughtfully. "Perhaps because you were nearly dead mere hours ago."

"Well, I'm fine now," she said, grabbing her clothes. "I need to dress." She stared at Todd expectantly.

"Dress then," he said after a moment when she made no move to don her clothing. She opened her mouth to protest, but he held up his hand, cutting her off. "It would look strange were I to turn my back. I'm not leaving you alone in light of recent events, so you may as well dress without argument."

"I don't need—"

"I'm not leaving you alone."

Nia stared at him challengingly for a minute longer before dropping her towel and shrugging into her underclothes and nightdress quickly. She followed him silently back to the room when he turned.

"Why did you go by yourself rather than waiting for me?" he asked as soon as the door shut behind them.

Nia sat down on the bed, rubbing her temples. "I couldn't just sit here, wondering how many people were dying, knowing it was my fault."

Todd crossed his arms over his chest. "Did you consider what might have happened if you had run across Veritus again?"

Nia dropped her hands into her lap, sighing heavily. "No, I hadn't."

Todd sat next to her on the bed. "Nia, I need to know exactly what happened between you and Veritus."

--

Nia could feel the warmth and pleasantness her soul had held onto dissipate as she told Todd about her encounter with Veritus. As the peaceful feeling drained out, the fear and pain of the situation wafted through her.

"He beat you for telling him I am your master?" Todd asked, drawing her attention away from the desperation welling inside.

"He said all Wraith are my masters."

Todd stiffened next to her, hands clenching to fists, nostrils flaring. It was perfectly clear how Todd felt about Veritus in that moment. Nia might possibly have pitied any other Wraith, but she only wished Veritus dead.

As the feelings of well-being completely disappeared, the terror of her attack claimed her. Her chest ached, and her head throbbed. She had thought her sense of safety gone completely with her capture, but she realized now that she had grown to trust Todd to keep harm from befalling her. With that trust, she had regained a little bit of confidence that things might get better. Now she had nothing.

Gulping in air, Nia choked back the panic that slammed into her being. Taking breaths that were sending her dangerously close to hyperventilation, she became dizzy. The panic threatened to destroy her completely. She was getting closer and closer to losing herself when she felt a warm hand on her shoulder. Ripping herself from the mind-numbing horror of what had happened, she looked up into Todd's eyes.

His caring expression brought tears to her eyes. Where she had once seen the face of an enemy, she now saw a friend. Leaning against him, she allowed herself to break down into tears. Todd wrapped his arm around her, pulling her close to his side. His other arm encircled her when she lowered her head to his chest, placing her hands on either side of her face.

She wasn't sure how long she clung to him, her tears soaking his jacket. Finally, he murmured she needed sleep. Todd picked her up effortlessly, carefully laying her on the bed.

"Please stay with me. I don't want to be alone." She needed him close, terrified at the prospect of being on her own. Logically she knew he would be in the same room, but that did little to comfort her. Nia needed his solid presence next to her as a reminder she was safe there.

Todd nodded slowly, stripping down to his underwear, as was his nightly habit. Crawling into the bed, he pulled the blanket over them.

"Thank you," she whispered.

Todd looked at her, smiling gently. "You're welcome, Nia."


	4. Chapter 4

_Author's Notes:_ Thank you so much to my lovely beta, Alauralen. I appreciate all her hard work.

This chapter contains adult themes. It is not suitable for children.

_Disclaimer: _Stargate: Atlantis does not belong to me, and I am not making a profit from this story.

* * *

**The Distant Journey**

**Chapter Four**

Nia felt his lips against her throat as she laced her hands through his hair. Never had she felt anything like this before. She tightened her grip on him, moaning in pleasure. Todd raised his lips to hers, running his hands down her sides as he continued his rhythm. As the dam of ecstasy rose to the breaking point, Nia snapped awake.

Her breath hitched as her body throbbed with the remembered dream. She'd never had such a realistic dream before. She could still feel the pressure of his lips on hers, the pleasure his body provided. It occurred to her she ought to be horrified over her dream, but she couldn't manage to think of anything but the overwhelming rapture.

Slowly, she registered the real warmth of Todd's body next to her. His slow, even breathing indicated he was still sleeping. Carefully, Nia rolled over to face him. His head was tilted toward her, lips slightly parted. She'd never looked so closely at a Wraith before, and certainly never a sleeping one. The strange starburst design around his left eye caught her attention the most, and her fingers inexplicably itched to trace it.

Todd sighed, rolling slightly toward her. The blanket slid down, revealing his chest. She'd seen it before, of course, since they shared living quarters, but she'd never really taken the opportunity to look at it. Upon examination, it looked much the same as a human male's chest. She knew the men she'd seen working in the fields on her planet were in good shape due to the physical demands planting and harvesting required, but Todd's was far more muscled. She wondered if the Wraith actually possessed more muscles. It would explain their superior strength. Then again, she didn't know much about the anatomy of a human, let alone a Wraith.

Todd's arms were similarly muscled. She was sure he was at the peak of Wraith physical fitness. Even his strong jaw line hinted at muscle. No wonder the Wraith were such strong adversaries. She'd have been horror-stricken mere months ago to ever imagine thinking of a Wraith in such a manner, but there was something different about Todd.

Her thoughts came to a crashing halt when she lifted her eyes from Todd's muscles to find him gazing at her. "Did you sleep well?" he asked.

Her face flushed furiously. "I— Uh…" Visions of his strong body over hers flashed through her mind, and she felt her blush deepening.

"You didn't experience any nightmares?"

"Nightmares?" Nia's throat closed up, and she coughed. "No, no nightmares."

Todd cocked his head to the side. "You seem… Uneasy."

"Oh, no," Nia said, words tumbling out quickly. "I'm fine. Just fine. I slept well and had pleasant dreams." The last part came out unexpectedly, and she began coughing again.

"Are you certain you are all right?" Todd asked. "I know yesterday was difficult for you. Perhaps you're still experiencing shock."

"Well, there is one thing…" Suddenly feeling shy, she glanced at Todd before dropping her gaze to the sheets. "I… Well, after you healed me, I felt… at peace. I felt euphoric."

Todd nodded. "The Gift of Life is a pleasurable experience. I have been told by some that it's a rather erotic sensation."

Todd's lips against hers surfaced in her mind. That had to be it. No wonder she was dreaming of Todd like that. It was a residual effect from the healing. The fact that Todd was in bed with her—clad in very little—shot through her mind suddenly. Face blazing again, she sat up.

She struggled out of the blanket, managing to uncover Todd completely in the process. Since the bed was set in an alcove, she had no choice but to climb over him to get out. Nia moved down, thinking crawling over his legs would be easier. In her haste, she put her hand down too close to the edge and ended up face down on his stomach.

"A little lower," Todd said, chuckling wickedly.

Nia rolled, falling over the edge of the bed and landing in a heap on the floor. Todd quickly climbed out of the bed, helping her to her feet. "Nia, is something wrong?" He winked at her lasciviously, knowing exactly what had addled her. She took a step back, tripping over a rouge edge of the blanket. Todd reached out to steady her. "You need to sit down before you hurt yourself," he said.

Nia nodded, allowing him to guide her to the chair. Her skin burned with his touch, her skin tingling when he drew his hand back. Thankfully, a knock sounded, announcing the arrival of her breakfast.

--

Todd watched Nia tripping all over the room in amusement. It had taken all his concentration to keep from getting aroused when she'd landed on his stomach. The pressure of her breasts on his groin had been almost more than he could stand. After catching her staring at his body, it was just too much. It was a very good thing she'd been so adamant about getting out of the bed, else he may have embarrassed himself rather than her for once.

The knock interrupted an awkward silence, and Todd pulled his pants on, gratefully opening the door. The tension in the air was thick, and the worshipper looked at them oddly. She set the tray on the table, glancing at both of them, still wearing a puzzled expression. Obviously, the uneasy silence hadn't gone unnoticed. Without saying anything, only bowing slightly to Todd, she hurried out of the room. Todd didn't blame her.

Nia picked up her fork and pushed the food around, keeping her eyes locked on the plate. The silence was deafening. Finally, he couldn't stand it anymore. Grabbing his shirt and jacket, he dressed.

"I have some business to attend to this morning," he said, words sounding loud after the stillness. "I won't be long."

"You don't need to watch over me today," Nia said quietly. "I will be all right."

Todd took in her bowed head. She still pushed her food around as if she had no interesting eating. He knew she was in denial about what had happened. The shock of the entire situation had numbed her, and she would fall hard when reality forced itself on her. Saying nothing, but having every intention of coming back to the room after his business was taken care of, he walked out the door.

Todd's highest-ranking officers were already in the conference room by the time he arrived. He'd sent a telepathic message, calling a meeting, and they'd wasted no time in convening. Veritus wasn't normally a part of these meetings, but Todd had been sure to include him in the summoning. The Wraith waited, respectfully saying nothing, for him to begin the meeting.

He looked over the faces of each of his officers, gaze falling on Veritus last. "My command has been challenged," he said, allowing his eyes to travel to Veritus again. All heads turned toward the unfortunate Wraith. "I will not tolerate such intentional sabotage."

Veritus seemed genuinely shocked at Todd's words. He looked around at the unforgiving glares from his hive members. "Commander, I assure you, I would never challenge your leadership." He might have said more, but Todd held up his hand.

"You disciplined my slave rather than bringing her to me for proper punishment. As a result of your actions, she nearly died. I was forced to share the Gift of Life, depleting my energy to dangerously low levels." He stopped to allow his words a few moments to sink in. "Because you have inflicted similar harm upon your past slaves—which resulted in death each time—I can only assume you understood the consequences of your actions. Your disregard for my command is traitorous. I cannot allow it."

Veritus' eyes grew wide. It was well known how Todd handed challenges to his authority. "Commander, forgive me, I did not mean—"

"You did not mean to beat my property to near death? You did not mean to imply an inability to train my slave? Your implications directly challenge my authority." Todd wanted to tear Veritus' throat out with his bare hands. Somehow Nia had come to mean more to him than he'd ever expected, and he felt a responsibility to protect her.

Every one of Todd's officers growled menacingly at Veritus. Judgment had been passed. Veritus would be taken to the Queen. Lower level officers did not return from meetings with the Queen in the same physical condition they had once enjoyed. Todd spared one last look at the condemned Wraith before leaving him to be dealt with by his officers. He sent a mental message to his first officer to assume command for the day as he walked out.

For some reason, he wasn't surprised to find his room empty. He ran down the list of Nia's daily schedule. During the course of conversation, he'd put together a fairly complete list of her routine. Looking at the pile of dirty laundry in the corner, he mentally ticked that off the list. The empty tray on the table caused him to remove the kitchen from his list, as well. Since Nia had taken a bath just before retiring to bed for the night, he doubted she was bathing again. That left only one place he knew she frequented.

Drin dropped his mouth open in shock when Todd entered the training room. Todd had never visited the human training room before. He had spoken with Drin on more than one occasion for various reasons, but he'd never seen him otherwise.

All sparring stopped as Drin's students turned, bowing to Todd. Nia was among the students, and she bowed shortly after everyone else. Todd linked his hands behind his back. "Please, proceed," he said, beckoning Drin to him.

Nia looked at him strangely before beginning to practice with her partner again.

"Master, I wasn't expecting you. I could set up a demonstration, if you'd like," Drin said. "Anything at all you would like, Master."

Todd shook his head. "That won't be necessary, Drin. I understand you've been producing some fine spies."

Drin bowed, smiling in pleasure. "I merely train them to anticipate self defense. It is the greatness of the Wraith that truly creates a warrior."

"You give yourself too little credit," Todd said. "I've decided to promote you. You will train in the ways of Wraith combat two days a week. I trust this will not interfere with your teaching schedule?" He'd been meaning to promote Drin for some time but had never gotten around to doing so. Carrying out his intentions was a perfect cover for checking on Nia.

Drin flushed with gratitude. "Master, you honor me with your trust. I will certainly make the suitable arrangements with my students. If I may have your permission, there are a few students who excel and would make excellent basic trainers in my absence."

Todd nodded his approval. "You may select two students to teach during your training hours." Todd watched Nia take a hit from her partner. "You have been working with my slave," he said.

"Yes, Master. She is a good student and learns quickly." Drin tensed in apprehension.

"It has certainly improved her physical condition," Todd said, choosing his words carefully. Drin relaxed, understanding Todd's intended implication.

--

Nia couldn't get Todd's presence out of her mind as she began sparring with her partner again. She was still in the beginner class, but Drin had told her she was nearly ready for the next level. Todd stood to the side, speaking with Drin and distracting her. Her partner's staff slammed into her hip, nearly knocking her off her feet. It served to take her attention off Todd for a moment as she threw herself into the battle, raising the intensity to the next level.

Her partner was newer than she and was unable to parry Nia's attacks fast enough. It didn't take long for Nia to knock the young woman off her feet, staff pressed against her throat. As she extended her hand and helped the woman up, Drin called for them to clear the mat.

Todd moved to the middle, declining a proffered staff from an advanced student. He stood silently, hands behind his back as Drin dropped into a fighting stance. Todd nodded, and Drain began circling him. Todd never moved, simply standing, keeping his hands clasped behind his back.

Nia's heart leapt into her throat as Drin lunged toward Todd's back. His staff swung at Todd, but it met only air as he effortlessly turned, moving so quickly Nia's eyes swam. Drin rallied, swinging his staff around swiftly. Todd deflected the staff with his arm, grabbing the shaft with his free hand. In a movement Nia barely registered, Todd had the staff in his hand, and Drin was lying on the ground.

Drin climbed to his feet, bowing to Todd. "You truly humble and honor me, Master. I am grateful for this learning experience."

Drin might have been pleased with Todd's attention, but Nia was annoyed. Todd knew Drin stood no chance against him. She felt humiliated for Drin as she watched the human smile, bowing to Todd again.

The conversation between Todd and Drin lasted only a moment, and then Todd walked her way. She was fairly certain only Drin knew she was Todd's personal slave. She had never seen any of the other students outside the training rooms. As he approached, she wondered how many of the students would want to spar with her after finding out she was their commander's slave.

He came to a stop before her, regarding her silently. "Follow me," he said quietly.

Nia could tell he wasn't happy with her. Had he actually expected her to stay in the room all day? He simply didn't understand she was all right. The events of last night were in the past. He needed to let them stay there. Because it was expected, she answered, "Yes, Master." Handing her staff to her sparring partner, she followed Todd.

--

Todd stared straight ahead throughout the short trip to their room. He could tell Nia wasn't happy with him. Not that he really cared. It was time she started listening a little better. He controlled countless Wraith hives, and one human was not going to run him. The closer to the room they got, the more annoyed he became.

As the door slid shut behind them, he turned to face her. He felt as angry as she looked. "Why do you refuse to listen to me?"

Nia's eyes flashed in anger, and her nostrils flared. "I don't have to answer to you. I'm not your property."

"You may not believe you are my property, but everyone else on this ship does. If you continue with your blatant disregard for me, eventually I'm going to be forced to discipline you." Todd threw his hands up in the air in frustration. "I will not allow you to destroy my reputation."

Nia's hand quivered as if she wanted nothing more than to slap him again. "Your reputation is all that matters to you, isn't it?"

Todd grabbed Nia's arms and leaned over, staring her straight in the eyes. "Your safety and well-being are very important to me."

Nia's eyes darkened. "A likely story."

Todd closed his eyes momentarily, feeling weary. Opening them again, he said, "When I left you to your breakfast it was to attend a meeting to punish Veritus. His treatment of you was an attack on my command." Todd dropped his hands back to his sides. "But his punishment was for more than that one reason."

"Oh, there's more to you than your precious career?" Nia looked away from him, and Todd thought he saw tears in her eyes.

"My real reason for his punishment was because I don't want to see you hurt ever again." Todd took a deep breath. "I care for you, Nia."

Nia's eyes snapped back to his face. "What?"

Todd straightened up, taking a step back. "Seeing you hurt was difficult for me."

"That isn't what you said." Nia took a step forward.

Todd responded with another step back. "It was a true statement."

"But, it's not what you said." Nia took another step toward him, backing him against the wall.

Todd suddenly understood, literally, what it felt like to be backed into a corner. He had never felt so intimidated in his life. Certainly never by a human woman who was a full foot shorter than he. Yet there in front of him she stood, fierce and demanding. He hadn't meant to admit he cared for her, but he had. It was obvious she wasn't about to let his comment slide. The real question was, did he want her to?

"You said you cared for me," Nia said quietly, staring at him intently.

Todd could feel an uncommon anxiety beginning to rise within. It wasn't the Wraith way to admit feelings—other than anger—and he was unaccustomed to displaying any sort of emotional attachment. His mind may have begun to panic, but his body had other ideas. Nia's closeness was having a different sort of effect.

She placed her had on his arm. "Do you really?" Her voice was calm, but her eyes were desperate. It was as if she needed him to care.

Todd gulped back his desire, meticulously forming his word. "Yes." It was all he could manage without pulling her into his arms and showing her how much he felt.

Nia allowed her hand to slip down, brushing his hand gently, as she dropped her hand back to her side. Todd shivered slightly, unable to hold back.

--

Nia wasn't sure how to process the knowledge that Todd actually cared for her. He shivered as she dropped her hand. Looking into his eyes again, she was surprised to see desire. Her dream whirled in her head. She shocked herself by wondering what his body would truly feel like. Once the thought entered her mind, she was unable to get it out again.

Tension was thick in the air as they stared at one another. A vision of Todd throwing her on the bed floated across her mind, and she suddenly realized she wanted him to make her dream a reality. The thought terrified her as much as it entranced her. She stepped back, unable to sort through the range of emotions that besieged her.

A flicker of disappointment flashed across Todd's face, but he masked it quickly. So quickly, in fact, Nia wasn't entirely sure she'd seen it. They both stood awkwardly for a moment before Nia said, "I really need to bathe after sparring."

Todd nodded. "I will have lunch brought today."

Nia considered arguing again, but given where their argument had led last time, she didn't say anything. Taking the cue, she nearly fled from the room. She took her time, not knowing what to say to Todd when she returned. He couldn't possibly have missed her discomfort. He wasn't stupid, and he would eventually realize her conflicted emotions.

Finally, she was unable to put off the inevitable and returned to the room. True to his word, Todd had lunch waiting. Along with lunch, there was a large bottle of wine—and two glasses.

"Two?" she asked, pointing to the second cup.

"When Wraith are young, we survive on the same foods as humans. As adults, we do not lose our ability to eat or enjoy food, simply the nutrition it once provided." Todd picked up the bottle, filling each glass to the brim. "I thought wine would be appropriate given recent events. I believe we could both use a distraction."

Nia regarded the glasses silently. Wine. She'd only drunk a small amount once before. It was uncommon and expensive on her planet. Despite knowing the effects of alcohol, she picked up the glass and drank deeply. After draining a third of the contents, she put it down and noted the food. The large plate was filled with thinly sliced meats, cheeses, fruits, nuts, and bread. It reminded her of a plate she'd once prepared for a harvest celebration.

She watched as Todd picked up a piece of meat and popped it into his mouth. After swallowing, he too drank deeply from his glass. It was decidedly odd to witness a Wraith eating. She'd never known anything about their habits when young.

Hours and two bottle of wine later, Nia lolled on the bed, feeling wonderfully displaced. "You don't look drunk," she said, nearly rolling off the bed.

--

Todd watched Nia almost crash to the floor, completely unable to move fast enough to catch her had she actually fallen. While he wasn't nearly as drunk as she was, his head still buzzed pleasantly, leaving him feeling dizzy.

"As if you could tell. How many of me do you see?" he asked.

Nia giggled. "Well, I know there is only one of you, so it doesn't matter how many I see."

Todd lurched to his feet, crossing the room. His head swam as he sat on the bed next to Nia. His jacket bunched uncomfortably, so he began fumbling with the buttons to remove it. Looking down made him dizzier, and he couldn't seem to make his fingers work properly.

"Here, let me," Nia said, grabbing the front of his jacket.

"You see more than one of me. How will you manage buttons?" Todd watched as she set her face stubbornly, catching her tongue between her teeth in concentration. Much to his surprise, the first button popped open.

"Hah!" She clapped her hands in delight, losing her balance and falling against him. Putting her hands on his chest, she pushed herself upright, moving on to the next button.

As Nia steadily opened his jacket, Todd began feeling the stirrings of desire again. Her small hands brushed his stomach delicately as she neared the completion of her task. He wasn't sure how much more he could take when she sat up on her knees. "Done!" Leaning forward, she pulled his jacket open. Her breasts brushed his chest as she pushed it down his arms.

She smelled wonderful, and, without thinking about it, Todd pulled his arms from the jacket and pulled her into an embrace. Nia collapsed against him, sighing softly. Todd felt his body responding to her proximity and was unable to control himself.

Nia sat up suddenly, and Todd knew she'd felt the physical results of his hunger for her. Her glance down confirmed his fear. "You want to make it a reality, too," she whispered.

Todd didn't have time to consider her words before she leaned close and brushed her lips against his. He froze only momentarily before returning the kiss. She sighed softly against his lips, and he pulled her closer, deepening the kiss.

Nia pulled away, lying back on the bed, arms stretched out, beckoning him to join her. "I need you," she whispered.

As he lay over her, she wrapped her arms around him, and he nipped her lips. She moaned as he dropped his attention to her neck. Wild lust raged through him, and he suddenly wanted nothing more than to show her the depth of his feeling.

Before he could do anything, Nia's arms went limp and dropped. Rising on his forearms, Todd took in her slack form. She had passed out. "Oh, Nia," he whispered, resting his forehead against her cheek.

Todd woke hours later to a groan. "What happened?" Nia asked.

He sighed. "You fell asleep."


	5. Chapter 5

_Author's Notes:_ Thank you to Alauralen for putting up with my stupid little mistakes that I make in every chapter. I know it has to be annoying to change his to him constantly.

I'm going to dedicate this chapter to gospikey. I promised her I'd update yesterday, but when I finally got a chance to do so, my electricity went out. Again. So, Spikey, this one is for you.

_Disclaimer:_ SGA doesn't belong to me. If it did, I'd have the real thing, and I wouldn't need to write fanfiction to get my kicks.

* * *

**The Distant Journey**

**Chapter Five**

Nia hadn't remembered a thing about their drunken encounter, and Todd only told her they'd fallen asleep. He suspected Nia knew something more had gone on, but he didn't enlighten her. It was easier for him to pretend nothing had happened.

As the weeks passed, Nia grew increasingly distant. She hadn't admitted it yet, but she seemed to expect something bad was going to happen. She had continued to panic at night, begging him to stay with her, and he had. It was growing harder each day to wake up beside her, wanting more than he knew he could take. Nia almost always woke after him—a fact for which he was grateful. It had been six months to the day since she arrived when Todd's day went from bad to worse.

"Commander, the subspace tracking system is still down. My diagnostics are not pinpointing the problem." The head technician stood in front of Todd, gesturing to the panel beside them as if he wanted nothing more than to beat it to pieces.

Todd clasped his hands behind his back, looking at the technician in displeasure. "Without the system online, we have no way of knowing if a ship might be in the area."

"Yes, Commander. Unfortunately, I will need to take the panel apart in order to directly access the problem." He looked slightly nervous as Todd eyes him darkly.

"Very well." There had been rogue human ships reported among the hives out of hibernation. It was unknown who they were, but their level of technology rivaled that of the Wraith. They'd managed to inflict damage on two of the three hives not currently in hibernation.

As the technician began disassembling the panel, a ship suddenly appeared in front of the hive. As soon as it dropped out of hyperspace, it began firing on the hive. A few well-aimed shots slammed into the hive before Todd had time to react. One of the targets was the control bridge.

Shrapnel exploded from the blast. Fires broke out all over the room, and Wraith lay injured and dead on the floor. Todd staggered to his feet, picking his way through his wounded crew and damaged areas. The weapons controls were unharmed, and he was able to determine their primary weapons had not been destroyed. With a growl of anger, he unleashed everything the ship carried.

The mystery ship's shields were only able to withstand the assault momentarily before failing. Hissing in pleasure, Todd targeted the ships engines, knowing the barrage would cause the ship to explode. Even as the weapons were deployed, he yelled, "Take the ship out of range immediately!"

The bleeding technician fired the engines, but the explosion caught the hive before it had escaped the blast radius. The hull was breached in the rear of the ship, and Todd quickly sealed off the destroyed sections.

Slumping over the controls, Todd finally realized he had a piece of the ship lodged in his side. If he didn't feed soon, he would die. Knowing it was a death sentence to remove the jagged piece from his side immediately, he beckoned to the technician. "You have healed."

"Yes, Commander."

Todd nodded, grimacing as pain laced through his body. "You will oversee the immediate damage control. Divert all unnecessary power to hull regeneration. Have the drones begin cleaning up this debris while you assemble a team to repair main systems. We could not survive another attack in this condition. Have a scout ship collect the debris from the other ship. We must find out what we can of these attacks. I will be back shortly."

The technician nodded, hurrying away, yelling orders. Todd gathered all the strength he had left and began moving toward the feeding areas. Fortunately for him, that section of the ship had survived. He stumbled, catching himself at the last moment. Pausing, he concentrated on focusing all his energy into moving. He was unwilling to ask for help and unwilling to take someone away from emergency repairs. Should another ship drop from hyperspace, they'd be destroyed before any sort of defense could be mounted.

As he slowly traversed the halls, his eyes swam. He was growing weaker. Todd considered pulling the wreckage from his side, but he knew he would bleed out too quickly to make it to the feeding area. He had to wait until he was there before removing the object slowly killing him. He put one foot in front of the other, taking the time to make sure he had his footing. As he resumed his trek, Nia appeared before him.

Her eyes widened as she recognized him and took in his condition. Motioning her closer, he said, "I must get to the feeding area, or I will die." Even dying, he couldn't bring himself to ask for help.

Nia hesitated. It was clear she feared what she might see at the feeding area. Todd faltered, nearly falling to the ground. She hastened to his side, helping him put his arm over her shoulder.

"Which way?" she asked.

--

Nia had almost finished the laundry when an explosion rocked the ship violently. Water streamed onto the floor, and the soap made it extremely slick. Her feet went out from under her, and she sat down hard. Another blast slammed into the ship, and Nia slid with the water into the hall, stopping when she hit the wall. A barrage of explosions sounded, and one last one lurched the ship.

Wraith drones rushed past her, intent on unknown destinations. A door slid open as Nia picked herself up off the floor. Two scientists emerged.

"The control room has been heavily damaged," the first said. "There have been casualties."

"The Commander?" asked the second.

"He has been reported alive but badly injured. He may yet die."

Nia's heart froze. Todd was hurt—dying. She felt helpless as she hurried down the corridor. "You'd better not leave me alone now," she said aloud.

She turned down a hall, having seen a drone run that direction. The smoke was thick in areas, so she lost sight of him almost immediately. Picking another corridor at random, she found herself face to face with Todd.

She felt sick to her stomach as she took in the debris lodged in his side. It was a large piece that would have instantly killed a human. Blood soaked his clothing, dripping to the floor. He'd been standing still for a moment, judging by the pool beneath him.

He motioned her closer, saying, "I must get to the feeding area, or I will die."

Nia heard the unspoken plea for help. _What if your family is there, in stasis?_ a voice in the back of her mind whispered. Fear shot through her. How could she possibly watch him feed, knowing people were dying because she helped him?

Todd regarded her silently, allowing her to think without rushing her, despite his increasingly worsening situation. Nia made up her mind suddenly. Those humans were dead either way. Todd needed her, and she couldn't lose him. He was her protector—her friend.

Hurrying to his side, she helped him put his arm over her shoulders. "Which way?"

He pointed down a hall, and they began moving. Todd leaned heavily on her, and Nia had to put all her strength into helping him move. He was much larger than she, and it was slow going. Soon, her dress was soaked in blood. She had no idea how he'd managed to survive for so long.

What seemed like a millennia later, they reached the feeding area. Other Wraith were there, and Nia closed her eyes momentarily, trying desperately to block the image of feeding from her mind. Todd's grunt opened her eyes.

He grasped the piece in his hand, trying to pull it free. His strength failed him, and he grabbed Nia's hands, placing them on the wreckage. "You must remove this for me," he said quietly.

"What?" Horror filled her entire being. "I can't do that! What if I hurt you?"

Todd chuckled, coughing with the effort. "I doubt you can cause more damage," he said, "but I will die if this is not removed."

Nia looked at his side. He was right. She couldn't possibly hurt him worse. Gripping the piece as best as she could, she pulled. Todd hissed in agony as it slowly slid from his side. It was suddenly free, and Nia stared. It was long and jagged and had to have nearly punctured through his entire body.

Blood gushed to the floor, and Todd wavered, driving his feeding hand into the person in stasis. Nia dropped the debris, throwing her bloody hands over her ears as a scream sounded. Slumping to the floor, she closed her eyes and rested her forehead on her knees.

She wasn't sure how long she sat there, desperately trying to block the cries of death. Finally, the screams stopped, and Nia cautiously opened her eyes. Todd leaned heavily against the wall, looking at her silently.

"I must return to the control bridge," he said.

Return? He'd nearly died. "Are you well enough?"

"I will live." He fingered the gapping hole in his jacket. "I suspect, however, that this jacket is beyond repair."

"I will go back to the laundry room and get your clean clothes," Nia said. "But, you'll need to show me how to get back."

Nia followed him, carefully keeping her eyes on his feet until they'd cleared the feeding area. Guilt and remorse flowed through her, despite knowing those people would have died anyway. She couldn't help but blame herself. Glancing at the imposing Wraith by her side, she found herself relived and grateful he'd lived. The thought of his death horrified her more than she'd ever imagined it would, and she knew she'd do the same thing for him again.

"That way," Todd said, interrupting her thoughts. He pointed down a hallway. "Stay in the room after you gather the clothing." Nia nodded, and Todd placed his hand on her shoulder in a silent thank you before heading the opposite direction.

--

Busy Wraith filled the control room to the brim, clearing debris and fixing damaged consoles. Todd entered, immediately besieged by the head technician.

"Our hyperdrive system is offline, hull regeneration isn't progressing as we'd hoped, and the subspace tracking system is still malfunctioning."

Todd hissed in displeasure. "We are target practice for any ship in the area. You must work faster."

"I will do what I can, Commander." The Wraith bowed, motioning his team's attention back to the still-sparking panels.

His first officer approached silently. They stood side-by-side, taking in the scene before he began speaking. "We lost thirty Wraith in the battle. Our food supply appears to be reaching dangerously low levels, indicating a large number of serious injuries."

"We must get the hyperdrive system back online now," Todd said. The first officer nodded in agreement, and they turned together to begin working.

Several hours later, the technician said, "We have it. Subspace tracking and hyperdrive systems are back online."

Todd turned immediately to the controls, searching the area for any sign of approaching ships. There were none, much to his relief, but he was still anxious to jump to another area. He wasn't able to ascertain if the destroyed ship had broadcasted their location.

Exhaustion moved through him, and he knew he needed to sleep. "Move us to a secure location and continue with hull regeneration. Monitor the subspace tracking system at all times. Alert me as soon as systems are repaired. We must reschedule our culling plans."

His first officer nodded, calling out orders as Todd walked out of the control room. He'd never felt so tired before—not even after healing Nia. He knew he looked terrible, but the regenerative sleep his body craved left any self-grooming impossible. It would just have to wait.

It seemed like hours before he made it to his quarters, though he knew it had taken only a few minutes. The door slid open, revealing Nia's worried face.

"Are you all right?" she asked, hurrying to his side. She put her arm around his waist, helping him to the bed. "You should have taken the time to rest immediately."

Todd sat on the edge of the bed, watching tiredly as Nia began unbuttoning his jacket. "I had to oversee the repair of the ships main systems," he said. "Sleep is a luxury affordable only now that we are out of immediate danger."

"Yes, well, I wonder how well the hive would survive without their Commander," Nia said as she pulled the jacket down Todd's arms. He moved over when she tugged on the jacket, looking at him pointedly. "This is definitely not salvageable," she said, taking in the dried blood and holes.

"No, I didn't think it would be." Todd yawned, barely even taking note when Nia pulled his shirt over his head. "You will probably not be able to wake me, no matter what you do," he said. When she gently pushed him back onto the bed, he fell asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow.

Nia wasn't surprised that Todd fell asleep so quickly. She'd known as soon as she saw him it was sheer force of will keeping him on his feet. She watched him sleep for a few moments before making up her mind to remove his pants. They were as covered in blood, as his jacket and shirt had been, and she couldn't let him sleep in them. It became slightly problematic when she noted his underwear were similarly soaked. Shoving aside her modesty, she removed those as well.

Todd had told her to go directly to the room after gathering the laundry, but she'd stopped in the bathing room to fill a small basin with as much water as she could carry. Upon returning to the room, she'd cleaned herself of Todd's blood with a rag. His clothes had soaked up much of his blood, but he still needed a bath.

Wetting a rag, she began the daunting task of cleaning his body. True to his warning, he hadn't moved a muscle when she removed the rest of his clothing or cleaned him. By the time she slipped a new pair of underwear up his legs and wrestled them on, she was exhausted, as well.

Climbing into the bed, she pulled the blanket over them both. "Sleep well," she whispered.

Nia woke hours later to her stomach growling.

"Hungry?"

Todd's low, gravelly voice surprised her. She hadn't expected him to be awake so soon. "Are you feeling better?" she asked, ignoring his question.

"I'm not dead," he replied, shifting to face her. "I admit to having felt much better every other moment of my life."

Nia laughed. "I'm guessing that was your first experience with nearly getting severed?"

"Very first," Todd said. He smiled slightly in response to her laugh.

Feeling sober again, Nia said, "I thought you weren't going to make it when we were on the way to the feeding area."

"I wouldn't have made it if you hadn't assisted me."

His words cut directly to her heart. She couldn't imagine life without Todd in it. They'd only met six months ago after his orders had culled her planet, but now she didn't know what to do without him. A sudden shock of realization slammed through her. She was in love with Todd—she was helplessly in love with a Wraith.

"It's not possible," she whispered.

"I assure you, my death was definite. Had you not found me when you did…" Todd's voice trailed off suddenly. "You are not talking about that."

"I— You— Something to eat," she said, blurting out the words after her stomach growled again. Nia sat up to crawl out of the bed.

"You cleaned me," Todd said, stopping her from crawling over him.

"Well, I couldn't let you sleep covered in dried blood." She refused to look directly at him, convinced he'd be able to see her realization of her feelings if she met his eyes.

"You stripped me completely." She knew if she'd been looking at him he would have winked at her, unnerving her completely. Even knowing he would have winked unnerved her.

Her face burned. "As I said, I couldn't let you sleep covered in dried blood."

Todd struggled into a sitting position. It was obvious he was still tired, and Nia wished he'd just go back to sleep. "So that makes me the first nude male you've ever seen?"

--

Nia refused to meet his eyes, so Todd raised his hand, cupping her chin. Turning her face to his, he repeated, "So that makes me the first nude male you've ever seen?"

"You know the answer to that question," Nia said, jerking her chin out of his hand.

Amusement filled him, despite the exhaustion still hovering over him. Something more than the usual embarrassment seemed to be bothering Nia. She failed to blush as hotly as normal, and her usual tone of annoyance had been replaced with something he couldn't quite identify. "Yes, I know the answer to that question. I'm just surprised you brought yourself to undress me."

Nia's stomach growled again loudly. "I really need to get something to eat," she said, refusing to look at him again as she began crawling over him.

Todd put his hand on her arm, stopping her. "The ship is still in repair. All secondary systems are offline. You will not be able to cook anything."

Nia sighed. "I can get something that doesn't require cooking." She put her feet to the floor, standing up next to the bed. "Besides, you need to get some more sleep. You look terrible."

"I can imagine." He lay back, feeling slightly dizzy. "Go to the kitchen and come directly back here. It is best to stay out of the way right now."

Nia nodded. "Just get some sleep. I'll be here when you wake." She turned and left the room.

Todd thought momentarily about Nia's strange behavior. He knew she embarrassed easily, but there had been something more. She usually met his eyes challengingly when he teased her, but she'd refused to even look in his direction. It hit him that she'd witnessed him feed for the first time. Perhaps that was it. But, if that were the problem, would she have taken care of him while he slept? It didn't seem to add up.

He closed his eyes, still pondering Nia's discomfort. He fell into a light slumber as he thought of her, and when she returned to the room, he woke. He was completely comfortable, so he kept his eyes closed, simply listening to her sit at the table and begin eating. He must have dozed off because it surprised him when she began speaking softly.

"What am I supposed to do?" she whispered. "How did I let this happen? Falling in love with a Wraith? I must be stupid."

Shock pulsed through him. Nia was in love with him? It definitely explained her odd behavior. Unidentifiable feelings rolled through him.

"Oh, Todd," she said, anguish lacing her voice. "I can never tell you. I know you'd laugh at me. Stupid human that I am."

_I'd never laugh,_ he thought. _I love you, too._ Sudden joy rushed through him. He had for a while, but he'd simply believed it to be sexual desire. He hadn't allowed himself to believe the truth, knowing she'd never love him in return, but he'd been wrong. She did love him.

An intake of breath followed by soft sobs filled the room, and Todd's heart constricted. Nia was crying because she believed he'd never love her in return. Gathering his courage, he said, "Laughing is the furthest thing from my mind."

Nia raised so quickly the chair tipped over. "Todd, you're awake. I thought you were sleeping." She backed to the other side of the room.

"I was," he said, sitting up again. "But the door opening woke me."

"You…" Nia's eyes widened. "You heard everything I said?"

Todd nodded. "I did."

"I… You weren't meant to hear that." She lowered her eyes to the floor. "I know you will never feel the same way."

"Nia, I—"

"So, if you could just pretend, for my sake, you didn't hear anything—"

"Nia, I love you, too."


End file.
